himespau 

Come on, don't say you didn't know this was coming.

sudo bike

Good luck arguing it in court. It's pretty clear earbuds are still within the spirit of the law. If you think a court would overturn it, you're entitled to your opinion, but I very much doubt you'd have much luck in court.

Yellowbeard

If your life is so boring you need to compensate with music you're clearly doing it wrong.

Why on earth would you want DISTRACTIONS? Chill out and enjoy the sound of your whistling nose, bask in the gentle hum of the refrigerator, the gurgle of the plumbing, the whirring of a computer fan, the noise of your jacket's zipper pull slapping against your belt buckle with every alternate step.

Anyone who would willingly choose to listen to music is clearly to ADD to enjoy the world right in front of them (though probably not much further than that).

chipcom 

Don't forget the soothing sound of your knuckles dragging on the cement. Good times.

Chris516

I bet it felt good to say that...lol

As I pointed out, I make an allowance for my balance problem. I also said, that if I didn't have a balance problem, I would use a mirror.

Chris516

Deaf people driving cars is one thing, because they have(I would hope) hearing aids.

The guy with one arm is entirely different, in that, that situation was probably similar to Def Leppard's current(since 1982) drummer Rick Allen who lost his left arm as a result of a car accident. While a special drum kit was made to account for his missing arm, the rider you saw on the trail made allowances for his missing arm because he had to.

That is a harbinger of definition, according to what a state defines as legally blind. Because I am a perfect example of that, under the state's definition of someone being considered legally blind. I account for my vision problem, by turning my head and making sure I listen for the traffic behind me. If I wanted to, I could take a drivers' test, as long as I was wearing glasses outright. My vision is 20/200 in my left eye and 20/40 in my right eye. Since I don't like wearing glasses(apart from my biking sunglasses) or contacts, I choose not to drive.

Chris516

Then despite all the concerts I went to when I was younger, I must still have acute hearing.

I can't tell what year a vehicle came off the production line, but I can certainly tell when one that is behind me.

Chris516

Very true.

Chris516

Because of my balance problem, regardless of one or two mirrors, mirrors are just plain distracting for me.

Chris516

funny

Chris516

I would be doing air drums to STRYPER. So that is another reason, for me to not even contemplate wearing headphones.

Bubba Zanetti

+++++1

Camilo

Please demonstrate that "in most states" it is illegal to do so. I've never lived in such a state. I think you're stating opinions rather than facts, again speaking theoretically rather than practically.

Listen, you seem intent on telling other people what they should do. Why don't you just admit you have an OPINION that some just don't agree with. Your are certainly entited to your opinion, but it's nothing more than that.

Can you do that - admit you're stating opinions and nobody has an obligation to follow your timid world view?

mikeybikes

The Colorado law on the matter:

Only applies to motor vehicles. It is not illegal to where ear phones while riding a bike.

I personally don't care whether or not you do.

Digital_Cowboy

So what you're saying is that anyone who is totally deaf (to the point that hearing aids don't do a damn bit of good) can't drive a car or ride a bike? That means that their only way of getting around is to walk, take public transportation, or "bumming" rides from friends and family. You do know that that severally limits what they can and can't do, right?

And what about those who are so profoundly or totally deaf that hearing aids don't work, should they be required by law to get the cholear(sp) implant? Who's going to pay for that?

I seem to remember in a documentary about a certain blind musician having one of his teachers apologizing to him saying that the "only thing he'd be able to do is to 'weave baskets.'"

Being deaf, either profoundly or totally isn't the debilitating handicap that it used to be. And most of them can and do do everything that the hearing do. They marry, they have and raise children, they have careers, they can do everything that a hearing person can do.

The bike he was riding looked your regular run of the mill bike. It had no special additions or modifications.



Exactly, there are ways to adapt and overcome. Deaf and hard of hearing people usually have to have extra mirrors mounted in their cars. They can still drive, they are not the danger on the road that you apparently think that they are. If anything they may be some of the safer drivers out there because they know that their "handicap" would likely be brought up if they're involved a crash.

chipcom 

tis a small forum after all

Digital_Cowboy

As I said in Fl it is illegal to operate either a motor vehicle or a bicycle with headphones, earphones, earbuds, etc. A friend of mine was stopped by a cop not too long ago while riding his scouter while having earphones in both ears. The only thing that the officer told my friend to do was to remove the earphone from his left ear. He didn't issue a ticket, as he could have. Or even make him remove his earphones entirely.

It's not just my opinion, do the research and I am sure that in most states that one will find that there is a similar law making it illegal to do so.

Digital_Cowboy

Given that in most (but admittedly not all states) that a bicycle is granted the same rights, duties, and responsibilities of a motor vehicle I am sure that a judge, or LEO would find that that law does apply to cyclists.

jputnam

I'd challenge the premise that most states equate bicycles with motor vehicles. In most states, vehicles and motor vehicles are separately defined terms of law, and bicycles are treated as vehicles, NOT motor vehicles.

That explicit legislative distinction has been explicitly upheld by the Supreme Court of Washington State.

jputnam

So I shouldn't wear headphones commuting because they would detract from the beautiful ambiance of six lanes of rush hour traffic on Interstate 90?

dougmc

No, most states say "vehicle" in that particular clause, not the more specific "motor vehicle". For example, from your own Florida law --


Most traffic laws in most states apply to vehicles in general, not to motor vehicles specifically -- but there's usually plenty of those too, and a handful that apply to other types of vehicles, such as bicycles.

Chris516

rotflmho

Hippiebrian

One state does not make the statement that it is illegal in most states false. You have a law which allows you to ride distracted. Good enough for ya.

Camilo

You are a real piece of work. You make a sweeping claim that it's illegal in "most states", can only cite a single example, and want ME to do the research to find out if you're correct?

In another outrageous statement you say that the explicit term "motor vehicles" somehow applies to non-motorized vehicles. Please stop before you really embarass yourself!
All I asked you to do was admit you're stating an opinion, not a fact and you're not even honest enough with yourself to do that. You know, having an opinion is really OK - you just need to understand there's a difference between what you're saying and "facts".

Meh.

Carusoswi

Nothing wrong with using your ears as an additional aid when crossing the tracks, but, what are all these riders/pedestrians thinking when they ride/walk into the path of an oncoming train without first using their eyes to survey the crossing to determine whether it is or is not safe to cross?

I would dispute ear buds/phones as the primary cause of these accidents. If you walk up to a railroad crossing, it should be second nature to make a visual check for approaching rail traffic. IF the crossing gates are down, hold your ground (gosh, if you are riding or walking, then, what's the rush?).

We could, I suppose, argue that the content streaming through the buds/phones mentally distracted those pedestrians/riders, but that is not within the scope of this thread.

God (or evolution as your persuasion dictates) gave us eyes for a reason. I resist the attempt to shift blame for these types of accidents from visual to aural senses.

Respectfully,
Caruso